Monday, January 4, 2016

Happy New Year

Past 3 O'clock...
(view from our deck)
December 30, 2015

You may think it's a bit late to be wishing you a happy new year, but I've been busy (like the rest of you have been sitting around twiddling your thumbs??) It always surprises me when December 31 rolls around and the VERY NEXT DAY turns out to be January 1, New Year's Day. I've told you before that I'm going to invent a calendar that's on a cylinder, so that there's not a perceived gap of time between December 31 of one year and January 1 of the next. I always expect to have more time, and suddenly it's New Years. And look! It's already January 4! How did this happen?


I've decided that I need to make a list of things I like about each month of the year. Unfortunately, May's list will be a lot longer than January's, but here goes.

Reasons to Like January:

1. BRIGHT, SUNNY DAYS  (Yes, January in Wisconsin is wonderful for sunlight - usually. In fact, sunglasses are an imperative in January, when the sunshine reflects off all that snow.)



2.  Beautiful snowy views and birds at our feeders.



3.  Mr. C. is not as busy, so there's more time to spend with him beside the fire, reading books, discussing politics, theology, and family members :-), watching movies, taking day trips, etc.

 (yes, I stole this from December of 2013)

4.  I was sure that there was a fourth one...  ... ... ... but can't seem to think of it.


No, this has nothing to do with anything,
but I liked the light and shadows.


 New Year's Day

It was wonderful to have a houseful of family here on New Year's Day. Our house makes two circles in which kids love to run (upper left). You can see that Jazzie, upper right, was exhausted from all the excitement. My niece and her son joined us for the day (lower left).  Daughter-in-law, lower right in the collage, organized a gift for Mr. C. and me - a wonderful family tree with photos that will hang on our living room wall. Everyone is pictured, with birth dates and marriage dates. It was a total surprise, and I was thrilled to tears. It also is a visual reminder of how many people Mr. C. and I are responsible for. Yikes! And a good reminder to pray for each of them. Since it's in the part of the living room where we read our Bible in the mornings, it will be especially handy (we believe it's okay to peek during prayer!).

 Smart Aleck Sons
Do they need a pie or what!?
(But I love them)


Upper, middle
Hoodie solidarity for someone who was having a bad hair day
(and it wasn't either of the girls!) LOL


Discussing Future Travel Plans

The newly-marrieds
Granddaughter and her husband
(wedding in November, 2015)
Olives, ale, cheese, peppers, bread, smoked salmon
Oh, a nice snack!

Every generation has Cooties.



I'm still thinking about that fourth reason to like January.

4.  Maybe it's that it makes me feel like there's a fresh slate that encourages me to plan changes. For the same reason that diets need to be started on a Monday, plans for change seem even more auspicious if started in January.

I've enjoyed all you wonderful blogging friends throughout 2015 and look forward to our next blogging year together!

***


P.S.  I thought of a fifth reason to like January:

5. Squeaky snow. When the outdoor temperature is really cold, the snow squeaks under your feet, and the boards of the boardwalk sound hollow. I love those sounds.



Linking to Judith's Mosaic Monday
and Theresa's Good Fences 
and Roses of Inspiration
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47 comments:

eileeninmd said...

Hello, your New Years looks like a fun family day. I enjoyed all the photos. Your family tree gift sounds awesome. You have a lovely family. I wish you all the best in 2016, a happy healthy New Year! Happy Monday, enjoy your new week!

Rajesh said...

You have made every month special. Wish you Happy and Prosperous New Year.

MadSnapper said...

what a super idea and gift. a family tree with everyone on it. you are blessed with a lovely family... we lost all track of time because we track our days by mon/friday going to the YMCA each morning. we had 2 three day week ends that we could not go and had trouble deciding what day it was. I can't think of anything i like about January that is not also true on 11 other months. i can type what i like and use it for each of the months of the year..

Cath said...

What a lovely idea to list what makes you happy each month! I love the photo of the barn (is that a mini barn in the foreground? - how quaint) and I absolutely love the rabbit and the blue jays (is that what they are?) sharing a moment together.

riitta k said...

You are so right that every month has its joys! Happy January!

Tired Teacher said...

A home filled with family, is a home filled with love. Happy New Year!

Alex said...

Gorgeous family photos! Your list was a good idea... I'm sure January SHOULD have at least a couple more points to it...ERM..let me think...Ah yes! It's good because we can BLOG in the warm, and the garden won't be neglected.
Also I like it for winter sunsets and bony skeleton trees, and thinking about all the foxes, owls, hares out there tucked away in the frosty landscape.
Oh and READING..I am reading 'The Snow Child' by Eowyn Ivey...it is perfect for January!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Lovely photos of a lovely family! Couldn't be cuter unless they were cats! ;-) I've got a few changes I'm working on as well. Hope we both succeed!

podso said...

ha ha. get you there on the Monday diet thing. Nothing like a Monday for a fresh start-- or January. Enjoyed all your sunshine photos as we still are taking our sunshine for granted after missing it for weeks. Enjoy that extra time with your hubby.

Elizabethd said...

We have sunshine here, but it is very weak, soon followed by heavy showers. Love the photo of bunny and birds together!

Linda Kay said...

Judy, we also have wonderful sunshine today, so a nice way to start out the year. My hubby and I just took a long walk in just a sweatshirt as the temp is warming up into the 40s today. Love the picture of the bluebirds and the bunny.

Brenda Kay Ledford said...

I hope you and your family had a wonderful Christmas and will have a wonderful New Year. I love your photos. The snow shots are splendid. I also like the pictures of the bluebirds and bunny.

TexWisGirl said...

looks like you had a great new years! :)

Monica said...

I am a tropics sort of person. the older I get the less I like the winter months. We had 5 days of cloudy rain causing severe flooding. When the sun finally came out I almost broke out into a happy dance. I love the sun! :)
I enjoyed your beautiful pictures. Thank you for sharing them!

Terri D said...

Happy new year! I love your photos and the stories that go along with them. You have such a beautiful family! The family tree gift sounds so great! We are finally enjoying some cooler temps here in Florida. I actually wore a sweater today!! :)

L. D. said...

I wish you the best for this year. Your family looks like a great group to have hanging around. I like your backyard view. The bluejay and bunny seem both too hungry to worry about each other. Fun New Year's post.

The Joy of Home with Martha Ellen said...

Your New Year's Day full of family is so nice, Judy! I so know the feeling of being responsible for our children and the grands and what contribution is made to this big old world on our behalf. Kinda gives me goosebumps to think about! Enjoy your blessings, my friend. ♥

Pamela Gordon said...

What a fun New Year's you had....a house full of family, good food and fellowship. Ours was so quiet by comparison. Kind of nice though. Blessings to you all for the year ahead.

SImple and Serene Living said...

Happy New Year, Judy. You have a beautiful family. Love the photo of the rabbit and the blue jays. xo Laura

Donna said...

Happy New Year! I tend to look at what I like about the seasons instead of months, and your January reasons are perfect....here it is sunnier during a typical winter. With December it was warm, rainy and gray. I'll take my typical winter that we are having now.


Donna@GardensEyeView
and LivingFromHappiness

Judith @ Lavender Cottage said...

I liked this post Judy where you've listed what you like about January. I'd have to think about this for myself but we definitely don't get the sunshine you do during winter.
So nice to see your family together and how much you enjoy them, sounds like a lovely gift you peek at during prayers. lol

Deb said...

I love to see your family home in the country. Your photos remind me of my in-laws home when we would pack up the three kids and the cat and head up for the holidays. They were wonderful times. Now I hope to provide that home for my kids and grands if it ever gets built. lol It's been wonderful getting to know you, Judy, through our blogs. I've enjoyed all your witty posts and appreciated you sharing your ups and downs of life. You have a wonderful family and such a beautiful home. "Happy New Year to you and Mr. C." Deb xx

Sue McPeak said...

So enjoyed your snowy pictures and the warm and happy smiles of your family. I too have plans to blog about Months this year. I like your January Likes List. Mine are going to revolve around my collections that relate to each month. It's true...we need a few more days to get ready for the New Year. I guess we can blame the Romans for setting up the 12 month calendar. It's never too late in January to say Happy New Year...so, Happy New Year to you and yours.

21 Wits said...

You've been busy and by your lovely photos you're really enjoying life and family in the best of ways! A Happy New Year to you too!

Michelle said...

It looks like your home is filled with family and love. Happy New Year!

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

A a lovely family holiday Judy and a fantastic gift of that family tree! I think your snow looks wonderful and I have to laugh at your description of how it sounds. My daughter would say she loves January because the cold (and gray rainy days ...in Oregon) give her a reason and excuse to hibernate, which she says she needs. But those kind of winters depressed me. I always wonder if I would have liked the season better had we lived in someplace like Wisconsin ..... Freezing but bright and sunny. Well ... A life not lived! The same n shines a lot in the winter where we are now ;)))!

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

Oops, forgot to say how much I love that bunny scarfing down along with the Jays ... Fabulous picture!

Cheryl said...

Your family tree sounds like a wonderful gift!! What a thoughtful daughter-in-law! (And I think it's okay to peek.) ;)

As always, I love seeing all of your family photos. So many blessings. Happy New Year to all of you!!

Sara - Villa Emilia said...

Happy New Year, Judy!
What a beautiful, heart-warming post. It's a great idea to list the lovely things of each month. The snow squeaking under your feet was indeed one of the things I started to miss when I was living for some time in (Northern) Italy.
Have a blessed day!

Vee said...

So much to love about your posts—the pictures and the wOrDs. The photo of the gals discussing travel plans...are you sure that they don't work for the local news? And I love your little granddaughter who has the look of high interest in the Cootie game. We wiil, of course, require a photo of your daughter-in-law's gift. What a wonderful, thoughtful one!

Barbara said...

I never thought about loving the sound of squeaky snow!

Enjoyed this post and all of your pictures -- especially the one of the red barn with a much smaller red barn in the foreground. What is that? A dog house, perhaps? Looks really neat!

Debby Ray said...

I do like January too...mostly because it actually starts feeling like winter here in NC. That 80 degree business on Christmas is for the birds so I am welcoming these January deep freeze that we are in now. I enjoyed seeing your family photos and everyone seemed to be enjoying the New Years gathering. I happened to notice that cool wall map with the all of the mugs trailing across them...how cool is that?! Happy New Year, Judy :)

This N That said...

Gorgeous scene in the first picture..I LOVE winter... It was sunny and 17 degrees when I walked Mollie this AM...45 min..We were in our glory..We haven't had any snow yet ;)
Enjoy your day..

Nancy said...

Your captures of the snow are just beautiful; I especially love the shot with the rabbit....Looks like you had a wonderful Christmas and New year's with your family. Being together is what it's all about.....

Debby@Just Breathe said...

I enjoyed this post and the photos. Happy New Year!

Cynthia said...

Happy New Years Judy, I always enjoy seeing your family. You all care for one another. A rare thing unfortunately today. Is that cynical to start the new year? The picture of the bunny and birds is great. Finally cold in NJ. 70 for Christmas is unacceptable.

Cindy

Arlene G said...

I love the idea of a family tree that you can see every day.

Lowcarb team member said...

Oh, what a lovely, joyous post.

Happy New Year Wishes

All the best Jan

Karen said...

I liked your reasons to like January! I'll have to come up with a list. We may be getting some of that squeaky snow by this weekend!

Anonymous said...

I've decided January 1 should not fall on Friday. By the time Monday rolls around and I am ready to "start" the new year, I'm already behind! LOL Looks like a wonderful time at your house. What a wonderful gift (the family tree). The house where I grew up was a "circle," and my daughter said that was a requirement when they selected a floor plan for their house. Many trips chasing grandchildren have been made around there over the years, enough to keep me dizzy!

Buttercup said...

I'm trying to learn to love January, but it's not easy for me. We did have sun, but it was below twenty, not my favorite. Loved seeing all of your family pictures. Happy and healthy 2016!

genie said...

Lots of snowy weather and a cute little bunny. What could be nicer other than a family happily spending their time together have fun. This is such an uplifting post.

Ida said...

Happy New Year - Well your list of reason to like January were certainly fun...and I did like that nice barn shot and the cute bunny. For me though January is just to doggone COLD - We haven't seen much sun this year so far but maybe soon...

Tracy Batchelder said...

Listing the things you like best about each month is a great way to count your blessings, especially in a month like January. I'm a warm weather person and even in our mild winters, I long for warmer temps and abundant sunshine. The thing I like best about January is that Christmas is in the rearview mirror and too far into the future to stress me out. Wishing you a happy 2016!

ann said...

Here I am way down at th bottom of lovely comments. I am slow to get around to visit. You have made January look very appealing. Perhaps I'll change my mind. I always appreciate a positive attitude. Thank you.

Magali@TheLittleWhiteHouse said...

Apparently, I'm even later than you are! But I wanted to stop by to wish you a happy new year!

Stephanie said...

What a delight to find you at Roses of Inspiration, my friend. The posts you liked up are so wonderful and I know they will bless others since they always bless me :)

I'm not sure if I hae ever told you, but the wall with your map and mugs is fabulous! What a great idea :)

Thanks for joining the party, Judy. Hugs!

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